Engine-support.



No, 709,445. Patented Sept. I6, I902.

A. w. mums & A. T. VAN HORN.

ENGINE SUPPORT.

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I No. 709,445. .Patentad Sept. 16,1902. A. w. mums &- A. T.VAN norm. ENGINE SUPPORT (Application filed Jan. 22, 1902.)

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ALBERT W. MENNs, OF REVERE, AND ALBERTO T. VAN HORN, OF MALDEN, MAssA HUsETTs-Ass e o sTO MENNS-VAN HORN MOTOR COMPANY, 3 OF PORTLAND, MAINE, A D BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF. MAINE:

ENGINEISUePORT.

i SPECIFICATION forming part of Letter-s Patent No. 709,445, dated September 16, 190 2. Applicat ion filed Jamm /'22, 19q2.- Serial No. 90,785. (no modelazz whom it may con'ogz flj 1 Be it known that we, ALBER W. MENN's, a

resident of Revere, in the county of Suffolk, f and ALBERTO T. VAN HORN, aresident ofi 5 Malden, in the county of Middlesemstate of Massachusetts, citizens of the United States i of America, have invented certain new andj useful Improvements in Supports for Engines, 1

of which the: following is a specification.

porting engines upon vehicles, being particularly adapted for use withvarious classes of cycles having a single steering-wheel.

It has for its objects the features hereinafter de-T scribed and claimed.

top plan View thereof. Fig.3 is a side elevation with the engine, wheel, and connec-: tions removed, showing more particularly the supporting members.

Fig. lis a front elevation thereof. Fig. 5isa top plan view. Fig. 1

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of one of the securing-brackets. Fig. 8 1

'is a similar View of the fork-crown, showing a second pair of brackets formedtherewith} 1 and Fig. 9 is a top plan view of the support- 3o ing -plate upon which the engine'rests.

Similar characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

A vehicle, in this instaucea bicycle, only a i portion of which is shown, is designated by. the letter B, comprising the head I), handle-f bar I), fork-crown bf, and front forks 19 with g adjoining parts and a portion of the front Wheel b. Upon this bicycle is mounted an 1; engine E, whichmay be conveniently of the explosivetype, it being geared to thewheel by some suitable mean's-asyfor example, a chain C, operating over suitable sprockets.

We have found that an effective point to mount an engine upon abicycle is in proximity tothe front or steering wheel, it being geared thereto, and this renders it desirable that the engine shall swing with said wheel may rest and be bolted thereto.

irlits steer n m remat s t a h ela es between the elements of the gearing may remain constant. It should also be located below the center of gravity of the vehicle and as nearly as possible symmetrical with regard .to the central vertical plane to increase the in guiding shall be secured. For this puri i 3 'pose the engine is shown as mounted below Our invention a relates toa means for sup- 3 the head at the rear of the steering-wheel to move laterally therewith, the cycle preferably having its forks b of special shape adapted to receive the engine between them. As illustrated, the fork crown is of considerable width to secure the proper space between the for-ks. This crown receives near each end a substantially vertical member of the forks,

here shown as double, and consisting of pieces directions from the intermediate member.

lts forward arm reaches to the desired distance in front of the head and terminates at its outer end in a fork end 1 4:, which receives the axleof the front wheel, and the rear or inner portion or arm extends into proximity with the vertical portion of the forks, where it is fixed to projections 14 from a supportingplate 15. Upon this plate some part of theeugine, here shown as the crank-casing, To steady and further support the engine, it may be secured at or near the top by a brace or arm 16, conveniently bolted to the under side of the fork-crown and having a projection 16 extending into a recess in the cylinder and secured therein by a screw 16, threaded through the projection into the cylinder.

To strengthen the forks and furnish additional support for the engine, one or more members 17 maybe provided extending from the outer portion of the forks to tliehead.

As here-illustrated, this consists of a piece of tubing secured at one end to a fork end,from which it passes up through and is fixed in a bracket 18, preferably formed as an integral extension from the fork-crown, then extends substantially parallel to the head, and is clamped in one arm of a double bracket 19, extending from and movably secured to the handle-bar stem. It then crosses the head to the opposite side and descends, this branch being fixed in the same manner to the other arm of the bracket 19 and to a second bracket 18 and terminates at and is secured to the fork end at that side of the wheel. In addition to acting as a stay the member 17 may have delivering to it a pipe 20 from the engine-exhaust and serves as a muffler therefor, the discharge into the atmosphere being through small openings 21, preferably situated near the lower end of the tubing at each side of the wheel. The stay may also conveniently support other portions of the equipment, the fuel or hydrocarbon tank 22 being shown as mounted upon them in a position parallel to the head.

It will be seen that as the engine is situated at the lower portion of the cycle below the center of gravity its weight will have no tendency to make the machine top-heavy, while the heat and odor therefrom will be removed to the greatest possible distance from the rider. The weight of the engine upon the rear of the steering-wheel will exert a constant tendency to hold said wheel in a central position, and thus greatly increase the steadiness of steering, while the increased length of wheel-base aids in giving stability to the cycle. The engine is effectively pro tected by the forks from injury by falls and collisions,and the whole supporting structure is strong and simple. While on account of the marked advantages arising from the effect of the engine in aiding to hold the wheel to a straight course our support is perhaps of greatest utility in connection with a vehicle having a single steering-wheel, it will be obvious that it might be otherwise used and still fall within the spirit of our invention.

Having thus described our invention, we claim- 1. The combination with a cycle, of engine mechanism supported wholly at the rear of the steering-wheel to swing therewith in its steering movement whereby the weight of said engine mechanism will exert a constant tendency to maintain the steering-wheel in a central position.

2. The combination with a cycle, of an engine supported at the rear of the steeringwheel beneath the fork-crown and connected therewith.

3. The combination with a cycle, of an engine supported between the forks of a single steering-wheel and at the rear of said wheel.

4:. The combination with a cycle, of an engine supported between the forks of the steering-wheelto swing therewith in its steering movement and an arm secured to the engine and fork-crown.

5. The combination with a cycle having the forks of the steering-wheel so formed that a portion thereof will lie in aplane at the rear of the wheel, of an engine supported between the forks.

6. The combination with a cycle having the forks of the steering-wheel so formed that a portion thereof will lie in a plane at the rear of the wheel, of an engine supported between the forks, and arms connecting the engine and forks.

7. The combination with a cycle having forks extending downward in a substantially vertical direction from the crown and then forward in a substantially horizontal direc tion, of an engine mounted between the forks.

8. The combination with a cycle having forks com prising a substantially vertical member and a substantially horizontal member extending therefrom in opposite directions, of an engine supported at one end of the horizontal members.

9. The combination with a cycle having forks comprising a substantially vertical member and asubstantially horizontal member extending therefrom in opposite directions, one of the ends of the horizontal members lying in proximity to the vertical members, of an engine supported by the horizontal members between the vertical members.

10. The combination with a cycle, of an engine supported between the forks of one of the wheels, and a stay extending from at or near the outer portion of the forks to a point upon the cycle above the forks.

11. The combination witha cycle, of an engine supported upon the forks of the steering-wheel to swing therewith in its steering movement, and a stay extending from at or near the outer portion of the forks to a-point upon the cycle above the forks.

12. The combination with a cycle, of an engine supported upon the forks of the steering-wheel to swing therewith in its steering movement, and a stay connected with the outer portion of the forks and with an extension from the fork-crown.

13. The combination with a cycle, of an engine supported upon the forks of the steering-wheel to swing therewith in its steering movement, and a stay connected with the outer portion of the forks and with an extension from the handle-bar stem.

14. The combination with a cycle, of an enthe cycle above the forks, and a fuel-tank Signed byns at Boston, Massachusetts this mounted upon said stay. 18th day of January, 1902.

16. The combination with a cycle of an engine supported upon the forksof the steering-Wheel to swing therewith in its steering movement, a hollow stay extending from the Witnesses forks to a point above the forks, and means I WALTER E.'L0MBARD, for delivering the engine-exhaust to the stay. EDWIN T. LU CE. 

